Pariyo’s new agents are looking for survival – MP Adriko fires back!

By Andrew Cohen Amvesi 

ARUA. Yovan Adriko, the Vurra County Member of Parliament (MP) has bitterly responded to the news of the massive defection of his agents.

Speaking to journalists on Sunday, Adriko said some of the agents who crossed to his long-time opponent, Peter Pariyo’s camp last week, are merely looking for survival.

We over the weekend, reported how more than 50 agents of MP Adriko including his sister publicly crossed to join Pariyo during a function he (Pariyo) organized at his home in Ezuku, Vurra sub-county in Arua district to declare his intention to contest again in 2026.

But Adriko has disowned the said agents, saying his real coordinators are still with him as opposed to the few whom he said are just looking for survival.

“I dismiss the allegation that my agents have left me. First of all, why and what is the reason? Those who have gone are what we call political prostitutes, those are survivors, they are just looking for something to survive on,” Adriko said.

“Majority of the people love me; others will go away but we are going to replace them. When the time comes, I will crosscheck my coordinators and if I see there is a gap, yes, I will do refilling and that is it. If one claims he has been working with me and he has left me then I say safe journey to him. Go well peacefully, I have no problem with you because I will replace you. When one goes, I will replace with 10, you go two then 20 people will replace you,” Adriko bragged.

Adriko also warned that no one should claim to have borrowed money to support him because as an MP, he has the capacity to borrow the money he wants and pay it back.

“No one should claim to have borrowed money because of me, no! I’m an MP and if I borrow money, I will pay myself, I have the capacity, I’m a Member of Parliament, I’m getting salary even, I can manage my loans. It is true during campaigns some people supported me but not my agents. My agents supported me in looking for votes but to get the funds, it was from somewhere,” Adriko explained.

Adriko further alleged that some of the agents who deserted wanted personal rewards like vehicles and huge sums of money from him which he objected to.

“Some people wanted individual benefits. If I give something to ten people, they say no, just give it to me. Others say buy for me a vehicle; how can I buy a vehicle? Everybody voted for me, like 29,000 people voted for me and if I gave two to three people vehicles, how would others see it? That is not okay and for me, I will tell the truth to the people. Yes, I support my voters, I support my agents but if you put me under pressure, saying I should only invest in you, then I’m not ready to sustain you, you better try elsewhere,” Adriko said.

Richard Tabule, MP Adriko’s Vurra sub-county coordinator said it is one’s political right to leave or join their camp.

“Yes, there are two or three people with their personal reasons claiming to have defected. In fact, those who claim they were the most important in our camp and they have left do not worry me at all because now in their areas, they are the most disliked people by the community,” Tabule claimed.